Tom Daley, 15, first learned to dive at Central Park, Plymouth, and joined his local diving club aged seven. His extraordinary talent, combined with a strong competitive instinct, led to him diving at the Beijing Olympics

DEVON"PORTRAIT, Tom Daley

Tom Daley, 15, first learned to dive at Central Park, Plymouth, and joined his local diving club aged seven. His extraordinary talent, combined with a strong competitive instinct, led to him diving at the Beijing Olympics and winning the World Championship in Rome last year. A student at Plymouth College where he is preparing for his GCSEs, Tom trains for four hours each school day.

Diving can be scary, says Tom. But the adrenalin rush is awesome. I have hit my head twice so thats pretty scary, but when you do an incredible dive, it feels like you could walk on water. Tom particularly likes to dive in outdoor pools and is sad that the Hoe diving boards are being demolished. I always seem to dive better outdoors, he says. My coach thinks I am solar-powered!